Flame fired incinerator



United States Patent [72] inventor Ernest Bayne Blankenship P. O. Box3516-8, Irving. Texas 75235 [2|] AppLNo. 751,921 {22} Filed Aug. 12,1968 [45] Patented Oct. 13. 1970 54] FLAME FIRED INCINERATOR 3 Claims, 4Drawing Figs.

52 us. Cl 110/9 51] Int. CL. A47k I02 50} Field of Search I 10/8, 9

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.020.559 2/1962 BlankenshipetalllU/9L'X 3 1391126 7/1964 Blankenship llU/9L'X 3.269497 2/1965Blankenship i10/9L'X Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. SpragueAttorney-Herbert J. Brown ARB Patented Oct. 13, 1970 3,533,364

FIG. I.

FIG. 2.

' ERNEST BAYNE BLANKENSHIP IN\=ENTOR.

FLAME FIRED INCINERATOR ble. for example, in buses, planes, boats andconstruction 1 projects. However, the invention isnot lim ited to toilets but includes other incinerators. for example, garbage disposal.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an efficient method ofincinerating the waste material with a minimum production of odor andpollution to the outside air. Previously, this result has been obtainedin some measure by taking the gaseous effluent resulting from theheating of the waste material and recirculating it through the flame tocomplete combustion and destroy foul odors. The presence of excessmoisture in the form of steam often reduced the temperature of the flameand even extinguished it, and often at the end of the heating cycle,when the flame was off. there was still enough unconsumed gaseouseffluent to produce an objectionable odor and noticeable pollution tothe outside air.

An object of this invention 15 to provide a heat cycle that continues bylatent radiation after the flame is turned down or off, assuringcomplete drying and incineration of the waste material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosed flame sourceof heat which cannot be affected by the amount of moisture in thegaseous effluent.

Another object of the invention is to provide an incinerator in whichthe gaseous effluent is drawn through a heat activated catalyst wherebyodors and other objectionable gases are destroyed before the effluent isreleased to the open air.

As hereinafter described, the flame is produced in a combustion chambersurrounding the waste material and the heat is transmitted to the latterand to the catalyst by radiation, the walls of the combustion chamberreaching temperatures in the l2QOF. range.

The objects and other advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a horizontal section through the incinerator cabinet. I

FIG. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the cabinet partly onthe centerline of the combustion chamber and partly on the centerline ofthe vent pipe.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the catalytic unit.

' F l6. 4 is a reduced scale plan view of the cabinet.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, a cylindrical combustionchamber is contained in an insulated cabinet or housing ll. A generallyfunnel shaped bowl 12 connects an opening in the top of the cabinet 11with the combustion chamber 10 and is covered by a conventional toiletseat assembly 13. In the bottom of the cabinet 11 there is a removableash pan 14 having a raised center bottomportion 15 to hold the solidwaste to be incinerated away from the liquid portion which drains to thelower portion of the pan.

The cylindrical combustion chamber 10 includes an annulus 16 divided bya vertical partition 17. A gas burner 18 with a.

pilot 18a leads into the annulus 16 close to the partition 11 on oneside and a vent pipe 19 leads out of the annulus 16 close to the otherside of the partition 17 so that the heat from the burner 18 circulatesaround the entire combustion chamber. The annulus 16 is closed top andbottom by ring plates 20 and 21, respectively.

Heat from the inner surface of the combustion chamber 10 radiatesconcentrically toward any waste material resting on the center portion15 of the ash pan l4 and also heats air in the induced downdraft withinthe cabinet. Heat from the outer surface of the combustion chamber 10radiates toward an annularly disposedcatalytic unit 22 which may becomprised of alumina pellets 23 contained between an inner screen 24 andan outer screen 25 as shown in detail in FIG. 3. When heated. thecatalytic unit 22 tends to complete the combustion of the hot effluentgases generated by the heat from the combustion chamber 10 acting on thewaste material in the ash pan 14.

A An exterior vent pipe 26 collects the effluentgases from the annularpassage 27 stimulatin the catal se iiriit 22 which have been drawnthrough the unit from the annular passage 28 between the combustionchamber 10 and the catalytic unit 22 as indicated by the arrows in FIG.2, and the incoming draft of cold air. The lid 13 is protected from heatby the bowl 12.

The combustion chamber vent 19 also empties within the exterior ventpipe 26 with a venturi effect. Draft is induced in the exterior ventpipe 26 by a fan. not shown, or by convection if a long enough pipe 26is available.

Gas is supplied to the burner 18 by a fuel line 29, and vent holes 30 inthe cabinet 11 allow an adequate supply of air to the burner 18.

After use of the cabinet the incinerating cycle is started by depressingthe pedal 31 which is attached to a control unit 32, and the cycle endswhen thermostats, not shown, indicate that the waste material has beenincinerated. v

The latent heat retained by the combustion chamber 10 and the catalyticunit 22 insures that any residual noxious gaseous effluent escaping fromthe incinerated waste after the flame is shut off will still receive ameasure of purification. In previous incinerators in which the gaseswere purified 'by passing through the flame a considerable amount ofsmoke and odor often escaped when the flame was shut off.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shownand described, but may be made in various ways closed combustion chambercomprised of inner and outer spaced circular walls, an ash pan saidcombustion chamber generally disposed above said ash pan, means forintroducing waste into said ash pan, a burner extending into the annulusof said chamber, vent means connecting said chamber outwardly of saidhousing, a heat activated catalyst around and spaced from saidcombustion chamber and means communicating said catalyst with said ventmeans.

2. A flame fired. incinerator as defined in claim 1 and wherein saidburner and said vent means are in substantially side by side relationand a partition in said chamber between said vent means and said burner.

3. A flame fired incinerator as defined in claim 1 and including aventuri type outlet in communication with the outer area of saidcatalyst and said vent means.

